by Dale Mayer
Sidney’s skin tingled where he had touched her, and her eyes opened wide. “Brock, are you flirting with me?” she asked teasingly.
A wicked grin flashed across his face. “I don’t know. Will it work if I do?” He swam closer. “You know if we were all alone …”
She smiled. Inside her heart warmed and swelled. He was such a nice man. “If we were alone, it’d be a different story, is that it? Instead of flirting you’d be mocking me?”
“Hell, no,” he protested. “As you know perfectly well.” He drifted his thumb across her full bottom lip, stroking it gently.
She couldn’t help herself. She kissed his thumb on its second pass. His eyes darkened with that slumbering look. She glanced around and saw that except for them, the entire pool area was empty. The corners of her mouth kicked up. “You know, for the moment, we are alone …”
Instantly she was tugged forward into his arms, and his lips came down on hers. They barely treaded above the water as he kissed her with the heated passion she knew was inside him. She’d seen that same energy, that same passion for life in his workouts. Now, when it was fully focused on her … Wow. She slipped her arms up around his neck to slide her fingers through his hair. Dimly, the sound of voices reached her ears. She went to pull away, murmuring, “Someone’s coming.”
Instead, he whispered, “Take a breath.” He gazed deep into her eyes. Curious, she took a breath, and he sealed her lips with his own, and they sank below the water. Down, down, down.
Such a magical feeling. Underwater where no one could see them—at least, not yet. Avoiding the world around them. Just the two of them lost in each other’s arms.
She succumbed to the magic of the moment.
There was a time and place for everything. This was certainly not it. But in its own way, this moment was perfect. Brock’s heart and mind were fully engaged with a beautiful woman whose body was pressed tightly against his. As they floated, and rolled, and kissed and tumbled in joy, he realized just how absolutely unique the situation was, and he wanted so much more.
The need for oxygen strained at his lungs, but he didn’t want to let her go. He’d happily drown, if he could do it in this togetherness. He’d breathed into her mouth, and she into his, as they exchanged kisses and the life force of the very air they’d taken with them. But like all good things, it had to end. Slowly they broke apart and floated to the surface. As each gasped for fresh air, they stared at each other in wonder, realizing something special had started. Not just started but had crossed that initial awkward series of first steps. At least, he hoped so. They were obviously physically compatible if the last few minutes were anything to go by. He couldn’t wait to hold her again.
Making love was one of the most glorious things when the person in your arms was also the person in your heart.
He knew he wasn’t a perfect specimen anymore, but he also didn’t think in Sidney’s case that was an issue. She’d spent a lot of time working with men in various stages of health and life. He didn’t see the same repulsion or the same distaste in her he’d seen in other women. It was as if she didn’t even recognize his shortcomings. Even though he knew that wasn’t true because she was the one that always pinpointed them and then forced him to work on them. That in itself was unique.
As others made their way toward the pool and the coffee tables on the deck, they floated away from each other. He knew this was more to give an appearance of normality than anything else.
Besides, a few minutes to cool the ardor of his body was a good thing. But now there was frustration thrumming through his soul. He’d known going into that kiss it wasn’t the time or place, but to think common sense might have stopped him. That would have been a shame. Yes, he wanted her. Yes, he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman. Especially now.
But those few minutes had also been something he’d never experienced before, and for the moment, he just wanted to savor her. There was no need to force his body into heavy physical exertion just to wear off the frustration eating at him. Instead, he simply floated on the surface of the water, just existing in the aftermath of such joy.
Something he had never expected to experience because he didn’t even know it existed. Now that he knew, he couldn’t wait for another opportunity to go there. Of course, his mind immediately set about trying to figure out how to make that happen. They both lived here. She worked here. His lips quirked at that thought. At some point, he was no longer going to be here. But he was also footloose and had no future locked down. In a way, if he wanted to pursue a relationship with Sidney, that was an option. Part of his talks with counselors was about a career. What steps he was going to have to take to return to a normal life.
The only family he had left was a sister, and they were no longer close. It was his friends he was closer to. If he thought Cole and Denton were going to settle in Texas, then he’d settle beside them in a heartbeat. He’d love for the three of them to do barbecues in the backyard over a beer, watching their toddlers play in the grass. In a way, there was just nothing better for a man like him. Of course, to have the toddlers, he had to have the mother. His heart immediately zoned in on Sidney. She’d be perfect for that role. She was caring and empathetic, and yet she was also the most kick-your-ass-when-you-were-down-because-you-needed-it type of female he’d ever met. Strong when she needed to be and yet caring all the rest of the time. Those were qualities anybody would admire.
“Are you going to just float around?” Sidney joked.
He lifted his head and smiled. “I thought we came for a nice, relaxing swim.”
“Relaxing being the operative word here. I’ve already done a few laps and burned off some of that lovely energy. How about you?”
“And here I was, just enjoying the after-burn, and not wanting to burn it away.” His gaze met hers in a knowing way. He watched the pink flush spread over her neck and cheeks, but she smiled.
In a low voice she said, “That’s a nice way to put it.” She glanced around at the other people sitting at tables. “Some tea might not be a bad idea.”
“Are you okay? Are you ready to leave?” he asked. He wasn’t. He’d only been in here a few minutes. But if she was leaving, then he would.
“I’m more than okay,” she said in a low voice. “I’m not quite ready to leave. I’m going to float for a while. Stay with me?”
At the invitation, his heart shouted, yes. In a quiet voice, happy and content, he said, “Absolutely.”
And he watched a smile start in the back of her stunning eyes before it broke through to her lips—and his heart.
Chapter 11
The next morning, Sidney glanced up as Dani walked into the physiotherapy office. “Good morning, everyone.”
There was a hail of good mornings back her way.
Sidney caught Dani’s eye. To make it look like she expected the meeting, she grabbed her notepad, pen and coffee and said, “Inside or outside?”
“Outside, always.” With a laugh, the two women walked out of the office and proceeded through the building to the big back deck. As they approached the dining area, Dani said, “I’m going to grab a coffee. Pick a table and I’ll join you.”
Sidney chose her favorite far corner where the morning sun hit. There wasn’t enough heat in the day yet to make it uncomfortable but just enough warmth she sat there with her face turned into the sunlight and relaxed. Really, right now, her world was pretty amazing. Aside from the whole Marsha issue, of course, but she’d weathered worse.
“Don’t you look happy this morning,” Dani teased as she returned with a cup of coffee and a fresh cinnamon bun.
“I don’t know why I would,” Sidney replied. “I didn’t sleep well.”
As if on cue, Dani held up two forks. Sidney grinned and grabbed one, and the two enjoyed the warm treat.
When they were done and sipping their coffees, Sidney cleared her throat.
“Am I in trouble?”
“Not any more than usual,”
Dani said with a chuckle.
At that, Sidney laughed out loud. “Ain’t that the truth,” she said dryly. “Apparently, I can get into trouble without trying.”
“I did hear from Marsha. Not once, but twice. Apparently, you insulted her and upset her yesterday on your way into the pool. Then you supposedly had a lovemaking session in the pool.”
Sidney’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Wow. All of that just from Marsha?”
“Absolutely.”
“It certainly wasn’t a lovemaking session, or anything indecent. However, I will confess there was a kiss exchanged. But only a kiss.” Inside, Sidney winced. Marsha was correct in that it was completely unprofessional. But so was taking a simple kiss and blowing it up into something lewd and inappropriate. Did the woman hate her that much? Apparently. That was too damned bad. Maybe she could have handled the session with her and Andrew in a different way, but Sidney had just come back from school and hadn’t adjusted herself. Not that that was any excuse for Marsha’s poor on-the-job performance.
“That’s what I assumed. How bad is the relationship between you and Marsha?” Dani asked.
“Apparently bad enough that she’s coming to you with tales like that.”
“She feels you’ve been very mean to her. That she was criticized unfairly.” Dani sighed. “Of course this has to be investigated.”
“I didn’t mention the issue with Andrew to you as I knew I could switch up his program. I should have brought the problem to you earlier,” Sidney admitted. “Maybe that would have avoided most of this.”
Thinking to herself, Sidney had to wonder if she really had been that mean? She didn’t think so. But if she’d hurt Marsha’s feelings, then that wasn’t right, either. She considered this a professional issue. Marsha had been sloppy in her work, and that wasn’t acceptable. She needed to be able to take professional criticism. They all did. Not everybody was on their game one hundred percent of the time. Sometimes, it took other people’s perspectives to see the truth. However, positive reinforcement was also important. She was not Marsha’s supervisor. She glanced over at Dani.
“Has Shane mentioned anything to you?”
“I’ve already spoken to Shane. He’s backed you up. He stated he took over the patient’s care after agreeing with your assessment. He did speak to Marsha about it, and about her behavior toward you, but had thought it would die down. Instead, she came and made a formal complaint.” Dani’s smile was wry. “Of course, that gave me an opportunity to discuss her work performance.”
“Of course, that was her and your right,” Sidney said. “It’s far better that she get a chance to air her grievance than hold it inside. Otherwise, it’s going to fester and cause a very negative work environment for all of us.”
At the relief crossing Dani’s face, Sidney realized she’d been little worried about that. She reached across the table and patted Dani’s hand. “I’ve been here a long time. We’ve weathered lots of ups and downs. This is just another one.”
“I know.” Dani’s smile was sad. “It’s always hard when it happens.”
“Am I being disciplined, then?”
Dani shook her head. “No. I’m just going to ask you to add a little bit of oil to your tone when you speak with her. I’ve already spoken to Shane. I do have to go back and speak with Marsha again.”
“As always, I’ll try. Incompetence is something very hard to ignore. No matter whom it involves.”
“Isn’t that the truth. I will be monitoring Marsha’s work for the time being, along with Shane, to make sure other patients are receiving the best standard of care.”
They sat in companionable silence for a moment until Dani spoke again. “How serious is the relationship with Brock?”
At that, Sidney dropped her gaze to her hands on the table. She sighed and looked up at Dani. “I don’t know. I’m not even sure what it is we’re doing. In all my years of work, I have never met anyone that affected me like he has.”
“Oh, I do understand that,” Dani said with a sigh. “We’ve always held to that unwritten rule about no relationships between patients and the medical team. But that’s shifting, and I guess that’s my fault.”
“I wouldn’t place blame,” Sidney said. “And I think the shift needs to happen. You’re putting people with big needs up against people who have the ability to help solve those needs. We have men and we have women, many of them single and attractive, and temperaments will collide. Both positive and negative.”
“So true. I guess it hasn’t happened very much before.”
“I think it started to happen when you expanded. Bringing in thirty extra patients and the extra fifty staff to deal with them means there are many more temperaments to come to terms with. More interactions, more friendships and relationships blossoming.”
“Of course, my own world is changing in that same way.” Dani’s smile was mischievous. “I appear to have led the way this time.”
“You are our leader.” Sidney’s grin was wide and happy for her friend. “You’re going to have to put together a policy on staff and patient relationships, so there can be rules to follow.”
“Another thing to add to my ever-growing list.”
“I hear you.” Sidney grinned. “I can’t wait to meet Aaron, you know.”
“He’s all heart. I have to admit, it would have to take somebody like that in order to tolerate what I do here.” She gave a wistful smile. “He’ll be back after his exams next week, I believe.”
Sydney smiled. “Is he on board with Hathaway House?”
Dani nodded. “He is, indeed. And looking forward to helping Stan out downstairs.”
“That would be terrific when he’s finished his training. But he has what, three or four years to become a veterinarian? That’s a huge commitment?”
“More. Four or five I believe. He’s looking forward to it, and it’s lovely to see him with such purpose—passion for his future again.”
Sidney watched the blush of pleasure cross her friend’s face. She grabbed her hands. “I’m really happy for you, Dani. It couldn’t have happened to a better person.”
“What about you and Brock?” Dani asked with a laugh. “You deserve happiness, too, you know.”
“Ha, we’ve only kissed so I don’t even know what we are yet. At the risk of overthinking the situation, I have no idea what his plans are, and I’ve been here for a long time. I wasn’t really looking to leave, yet.”
Dani patted her hand gently. “I definitely hope it won’t be for a while, but if it’s time for a change, I would certainly understand.”
“I would too. But at same time it’s not where I want to see my future.”
“How’s Brock doing with his emotional issues?” Dani asked.
“That’s actually a good question. He was very angry when we first met. That’s eased a lot now. I’m not sure he’s totally dealt with the problem though.”
“Sometimes we deal with stuff up to a certain point, and then it takes a trigger to push us over the edge.”
“The trouble is, those triggers can be damned painful.”
“Absolutely. But maybe having Cole here will help.”
“Actually, I’m afraid having Cole here could make it worse.” Sidney didn’t really have any basis for that thought, but instinct said it wasn’t going to be as smooth a ride as they’d hoped.
“That’s not good,” Dani said. “I worked hard to bring the men together.”
“So far, I think it’s been a great reminder that he’s lucky to be who he is and where he’s is. But I know he’s also really worried and, for now, until Cole’s back and settled in and doing better, he’s going to be very stressed and focused on his friend’s return.”
“Why’s that bad?” Dani asked. “Particularly when you consider what some of his issues were?”
“Because he’s not talking about it. This is going to allow him to transfer his anger and his hurt and whatever else is going on inside his head to this new t
arget and let him avoid looking at his own issues.”
Dani sat back with a frown. “Maybe that’s something that needs to be brought up with the rest of his team?”
Staring out at the green fields and the horses in the distance, Sidney nodded. “It’s something I need to do. I just haven’t gotten to that point yet. I don’t want to jump the gun and assume anything in terms of his treatment and his recovery. At the same time, I can see a potential problem, but as long as it’s only a potential problem, then it’s not something I need to bring up.”
“Unless it is a potential problem that you can’t stop from becoming a bigger problem without intervention.”
“Decisions, decisions.” She gave Dani a warm smile. “Here I am up against the same problem as Marsha, which puts me in an interesting spot. As much as I want to go and talk to the team, I don’t really want it to get back to Brock that I was the one who brought it up.”
“You don’t want Brock to worry?”
“I don’t want Brock to think I betrayed him.”
“I think in this instance, it has to happen. I don’t like the word betrayal, as it doesn’t really convey the right meaning, but you’re right. He’s likely to view it that way, at least at first. I do understand what I’m asking. I think it’s a professional understanding of a potential problem that could be averted if somebody would bring it up and discuss it with him. That’s partly your job. If he’s going to hold that against you, and I know how difficult this is, then you don’t have what you think you have with him.”
“Oh, I do understand that, and I have considered all of it. The trouble is that reality is a bit of a bitch. I’m not exactly sure he’s ready to hear the truth on that issue.”
“No, but if you were talking to any other physiotherapist right now, you know exactly what you would say.”
“I know. That’s why I’m talking to you. Because I know that ultimately you are going to tell me to go and do what needs to be done and not what he would like to think needs to be done.”